Kuro-Ronpa: Pandora's Temptation
by The Mochi Factory
Summary: Hope's Peak Academy. The best school in all of Japan, renowned for raising students of high calibre and ability that represent the pride of the nation. Furihata Kouki, an average high school student, has been chosen to attend this wondrous place. However, he soon finds that everything is not as he hoped to be...
1. Authors' Notes

**DISCLAIMER:**

**WE, THE MOCHI FACTORY, HEREBY DECLARE THAT WE ARE NOT THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS OR CREATORS OF BOTH THE DANGANRONPA AND KUROKO NO BASUKE FRANCHISES.**

**DANGANRONPA BELONGS TO SPIKE CHUNSOFT AND KUROKO NO BASUKE BELONGS TO FUJIMAKI TADATOSHI, PUBLISHED IN SHUEISHA'S WEEKLY SHOUNEN JUMP MAGAZINE.**

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WARNINGS FOR: CHARACTER DEATH, DISTURBING SITUATIONS, MONOKUMA, POSSIBLY OOC CHARACTERS and other things that you can be warned about.

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All authors' notes and details about this story can be found on the project's main blog, "kuro-ronpa" on tumblr. We highly recommend that you read the Introduction as well as the FAQ if you have any questions that you want to ask. Author's notes for each chapter, case files, character profiles and other details can all be found there, so we highly recommend that you follow it for updates!

**PLEASE DO NOT ASK SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED ON THE BLOG**.

We also have a poll on our profile page going on, so please take your time to participate in this! This poll will be closed a day before chapter three's update.


	2. Chapter 1

**Kuro-Ronpa: Pandora's Temptation**

**CHAPTER ONE**

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The enormous, prestigious academy that towers over the capital's central upper-class residential district, positioned in such a way that it seemed as if the world revolved around it.

That is **Hope's Peak Academy**.

This is the one school in Japan which many dream of attending, but not just any person could go there. It is the nation's... perhaps the world's most super-privileged academy, which specially gathers students of the highest calibre in all fields to groom them to be the best of the best. They say that if you can graduate from that school, you are sure to be guaranteed a life of success.

For hundreds of years, Hope's Peak Academy had produced many students, all of them of the best prospects in their respective disciplines, and they are still doing it.

Bringing up students that the world can place their hopes, trust and dreams in, it is also known as the _**'Academy of Hope'**_.

To enrol into this school, there are two qualifications that one has to meet: first, _**'You must currently be enrolled in high school'**_; the second, _**'You must excel in all subjects'**_. There is no such thing as an application process; only those that were specially scouted by the academy are allowed to enrol into this school.

Yet...

For an ordinary person like me, standing in front of the great gates of that huge building that is that very academy, so wonderfully amazing and terribly awesome and breathtakingly fantastic...

Should someone like me be here?

By the way, my name is Furihata. Furihata Kouki. I just graduated from middle school this spring.

If you were to take a look at me... well, you can obviously see that I'm just your ordinary high school student. Just like anyone you would meet on the streets. Even the way I am inside is like any other person. I don't have any special skills or abilities; if I had to say something good about myself I guess it's that I'm a hard worker. Even that's something that just plain old normal. I was born into a normal family, lived a nothing but a normal life... even my father has a normal job. Heck, even my tastes in things are ordinary; I just go with what most people find good.

I didn't really realize this before, but I'm probably so ordinary that it's almost cliché. I'm just your average human being. That's all I am, and it's the truth.

Getting back to the topic, here I am now, standing in front of the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy, where nothing is ever close to being "ordinary" or "average"; their standard of "normal" is probably that of a whole new level.

Is it really okay for me to attend school here, I wonder…

I'm still bewildered, and I hope it doesn't show on my face. I feel like a country mouse who had just arrived in the big city, and you can't really blame me for that. I know I tend to exaggerate things sometimes, but after seeing what I had found out beforehand, I can't but feel that it's the truth.

I did a bit of searching online about the students that were selected to attend Hope's Peak Academy, and they are all really super-duper skilled in their own fields. They were even given cool-sounding titles. That isn't something most people would ever consider normal. They make it sound like they are of a completely different race.

I've heard about some of them, with elite-sounding titles like **'Super High School Level Surfer' **or **'Super High School Level Vocalist'** for example. Thinking about how I would be spending the next three years of my life as a student with people like these... I can't help but feel pathetic and worried. Think about me being the only piece of canned mackerel in a cooling compartment full of tuna belly at the sushi counter.

What quelled my worries and actually made me courageous enough to come today was that there were a few students whom I could not find any information on. Perhaps they are like me, who are completely different from the rest. It was only a thought, but it was definitely reassuring.

Oh. I almost forgot.

You have probably been wondering how someone pitifully ordinary as me ended up being chosen to join the group of **'elites'**.

Take a good look at the admissions letter I received a while back.

Apparently, Hope's Peak Academy allows for one ordinary student to join their cohort each year, and it is chosen based on one redeeming quality that a student should possess. They take one student from each middle school in the country and do a lottery and... voilà, I happened to be the lucky one.

Well, now that I came this far, it would be a waste to turn back.

Taking a deep breath and puffing my chest out, I took one step into the school compound.

And the next thing I knew, my head felt fuzzy.

I lost consciousness, and when I regained it I found myself in an unfamiliar place.

I try to analyse my surroundings to the best of my abilities. It appears that I'm in a classroom of sorts, and I had been sleeping on one of the desks in the middle of the room. This classroom looked just like any normal one, with standard desks and chairs, chalkboard in the front with the teacher's podium. There's even a small television screen and a surveillance camera.

Wait... is that latter bit considered normal?

I spring up from the chair and take a good look around me.

The first thing that catches my attention is that the classroom windows are covered with large metal panels and bolted shut at all four corners. I move over to one of the windows and, with all the strength I could muster, try to pull off one of the panels.

My effort proved to be nothing but futile, though.

I continue to look around the room for clues as to what could have happened, for even the littlest thing that could explain my current situation. I did not realise until much later that what I was looking for was on the desk I was lying on earlier. It was a small note, folded into four parts.

_**Assemble at the gym at 8 a.m. sharp.**_

For some strange reason, everything was written in hiragana, but that fact doesn't seem important so I'll just let it slide.

I look up at the giant clock on the wall to check the time... it was only 7.45 in the morning. I still have time to spare, but for some reason I'm getting a really bad feeling about everything that's going on here…

Well, if I have the time to brood over that, I should get going instead.

It took less than five minutes to reach the entrance of the gymnasium.

If the note said to 'assemble', that would mean that there are other people here other than me: in other words, my new classmates. I hope that one or two people would be there before me… I never liked being the first one to arrive for anything.

I push the door open and peek in. To my relief, someone was already inside.

There was a person was leaning by the stage, with his arms folded across his chest. As I walk towards him, he looked up to glance… well, glare at me. From the colour of his hair and eyes— a rich shade of crimson, I was able to recognise him.

His name is Akashi Seijuurou. He is the only heir to the world famous Akashi Conglomerate and holds the title of '**Super High School Level Shogi Player'**. I've heard about him before, from the magazine that my grandfather reads. He is a huge fan of shogi, and has recently been talking about how this newbie who's around my age is going about in the pro world defeating… overwhelming, rather, experts who had decades more experience than he did. He even won the national competition last year and had been chosen as a representative for our country in some world tournament that was coming up soon.

As I thought, the people who have been selected to attend this academy are on a complete different level…

"Umm..."

I try to search for words to start a conversation, since he didn't seem to be the type of person who would begin one, but I don't know what I should say. Not especially when he is glaring at me in such a frightening manner.

I feel like a three-week old chihuahua who was made to stand in front of an adult lion.

"What is it?" He asked, still glaring at me, who was now about two meters away from him..

Is he the type of person who always intimidates others like this, or is he just being wary of me? I hope it's the latter.

"Well, I… err…" is it me, or did his glare just intensify? "Y-You are Akashi Seijuurou-san… right?"

"Yes, though I'm not surprised that you have heard of me."

"I don't think you are supposed to be…"

"Quite true. And who may you be?"

"My name is Furihata. Furihata Kouki. Pleased to meet you."

"Same here."

Well, he doesn't seem to be as scary as I had initially thought him to be. At least for now.

"By the way Kouki, did you happen to wake up in a strange room?"

He's already calling me by my first name?!

"Strange? What do you mean by strange?"

"Strange as in, a place that you are not familiar with. While I do remember coming in from the front entrance of this building, I have no recollection as to how I had ended up in my dormitory room."

"The same thing happened with me. Except that I ended up in a classroom."

"I see."

At that moment, the heavy doors of the gymnasium swung open, giving both of us a bit of a shock.

"Oh! Looks like there are others earlier than me! What a relief!" The person who just entered spoke in a loud voice, in a manner that could be said to be carefree, even.

As he approached us, I recognized him immediately, despite not having met him for a year or so.

"Kiyoshi-senpai?"

"If it isn't Furihata-kun! It's been a long while! You've been accepted into this school too?"

"Someone you know?" Akashi asked me, giving Kiyoshi-senpai the same look he gave me earlier.

"We were in the same student committee back in middle school."

Kiyoshi Teppei was my senior for two years in middle school until he graduated. Aside from being a member of the library committee, he was also the club founder and leader of the school's infamous Outdoor Exploration club. Apparently, he goes exploring at every chance he gets—mountains, hills, rivers, forests, plains, jungles, volcanoes... You name it, he had probably explored it. If I recall correctly, back in my second year of middle school, he even invited the entire library committee to climb Mount Kita with him during Golden Week, but everyone declined. He ended up going there alone and was got lost in the forests in that area for about ten days before he found his way back home… by foot.

Aside from what I hear about the Outdoor Exploration club and their escapades, I even heard about him going on adventures to the Amazon rainforests and the great plains of Africa. His adventures were even reported in the local newspaper, especially a few months back when they announced that he was the youngest person in Japan to ever conquer Mount Everest at the age of sixteen. This feat was probably what earned him his title, '**Super High School Level Adventurer'**.

Aside from this, Kiyoshi-senpai is an amazing person... in many more ways than one. And I do say this a little sarcastically.

"It's been what, years since we met? You've grown taller since I last saw you!" Kiyoshi-senpai ruffled my hair roughly, in a manner that reminded me of what an uncle would do to his nephew. "But to think that you are now in high school, too! That does make me feel a bit old!"

"Kiyoshi-senpai, please let go of my head; it hurts! And it's only been about a year or so since we last met."

"Ah, my bad; my bad. But a year, huh... time sure flies fast when you don't notice."

"He is a very... peculiar person, isn't he?" I heard Akashi remark with a smirk as he analysed the interaction between the two of us.

"I would have to agree."

The presence of a fourth voice surprised us more than Kiyoshi-senpai's entrance did, and we all turned towards its direction only to spot a person with light blue hair and large matching eyes standing next to Kiyoshi-senpai.

I couldn't help but let out a startled sound of surprise, and so did Kiyoshi-senpai. Akashi, on the other hand, simply let out a small sound of amusement.

And is it me, or did that smirk of his just grow wider?

"When did you get here?" Akashi asked, and I'm surprised by how calm he is.

"I came in before this person did... Kiyoshi-san, is it?"

"Yup. Kiyoshi Teppei. Pleased to meet you."

"Kuroko Tetsuya. Same here."

Kuroko… Tetsuya?

I don't think I have heard about him before.

"Kuroko?" It seems like Kiyoshi-senpai does, though. "Ah, the author of the famous _Detective Sanzaburou_ series?"

_Dectective Sanzaburou_… oh, that mystery series set in the Edo period that started this trend that eventually led to stronger cultural preservation measures and policies by the government.

So he's the one who created it…

"Yes… you know of it?"

"My grandmother is a huge fan of the drama adaptation. She never misses an episode. She also bought every volume of the novel series. I've read them once through before. It's a great series; I'm looking forward to the next instalment."

"I see. Thank you for your support." Kuroko gave a bow, in gratitude, I guess?

Looks like he's a nice person, despite that aura of mystery that seems to surround him. Though he doesn't look like the type of person I can get along too well with…

"Kuroko Tetsuya… you're an interesting person." I still don't understand why Akashi has that strange gleam in his eyes. It's kind of creepy. "As expected of the one who was bestowed the title of **'Super High School Level Literacy Boy'**. I think I may come to like you… as a person, I mean."

"Is that so…? It is the first time anyone has ever said something like that to me, so I am at a loss for words."

The door opened again, before Akashi could rebut that statement.

The person who came in this time didn't say anything; the only sound that came from his mouth is a surprised "Oh!" which I was barely able to hear.

He approached us, but stopped at a small distance away from us. He looked a little uncomfortable… a little awkward, too.

"Umm…" I began, again not knowing what to say.

"Ah, I apologise. I don't really know how to act around or what to say to people I am meeting for the first time, so…"

"It's fine. It's the same for me."

Another nice person… but who is he?

"If I may ask," Kuroko intervened, which was a bit of a surprise to me since he didn't seem to be the kind of person who would speak much. "Are you perhaps _Hyourin_-san, the vocalist of the band _TSUKU+YOMi_?"

"Well, yes... you're able to recognise me?"

"I have always been good at identifying people."

Aside from Kuroko, that was a surprise to the rest of us here... well, maybe not to Akashi. He seems to know everything.

_TSUKU+YOMi_ is a rock band… or was it visual kei, that just made its debut a few months less than two years ago. They took the charts—not just the nation's but also internationally, by storm with their debut single, _Fleeting Moon Blossoms_. Even though all the members were new to the music industry, the band quickly became the most popular one in Japan, if not the world. Perhaps it was because their songs and promotion videos took on unique themes, often from ancient history, mythology, fairy tales and folklore. But what made their songs different from the rest was the powerful voice of their charismatic young vocalist, who went by the stage name of _Hyourin_.

**'Super High School Level Vocalist'**... that was the title they gave him online on one of the forums that I visited. Even though no one knew what his real age was or who he really is, it is the general opinion of the fans that he was in Middle School when he made his debut.

Still, he does look different when he's not performing. If Kuroko hadn't said anything, I would have thought that they are two completely different people. But with or without make-up and all that, I have to admit that he is beautiful. It's a strange term to use when describing someone who is male, but it's the only word that seems to fit.

"Even though you say that, I'm surprised that you are able to recognise me out of my usual getup. This is a first for me."

"I often watch the promotion videos for your songs. They provide me with good inspiration for my books."

"You're an author?"

"I created the _Detective Sanzaburou_ series."

"Ahh, that. I never read it before, but our producer does. One of our songs, _Kazahana Maihime_, was inspired from it."

"What a coincidence. I was greatly inspired by the video of that song as well, and created a character based of you, Hyourin-san."

"I'm honoured; but I would prefer it if you addressed me by my real name, Himuro Tatsuya, instead. Being called by my stage name when I'm not in my costume is rather embarrassing for me."

"I understand."

"By the way, how many people are supposed to gather here?" Kiyoshi-senpai added, changing the conversation. "It looks like people are coming in one by one."

"If I'm not mistaken," Akashi was the one who replied, "I think there should be about fifteen to sixteen people in total. Or at least, that's what I managed to find out. On a side note, all the students admitted here are male."

"Wow! That's amazing! How do you know all of that?"

"Don't underestimate the intel division of the Akashi clan."

"Ooh! As expected of a noble Japanese family!"

"But of course."

I don't think that most noble Japanese families are supposed to have their own intel divisions... but I don't feel like rebutting that out loud.

"So when will the rest be arriving?"

"Who knows..." Himuro-san looked at his watch. "There's another seven minutes more to eight o'clock. Since there are five of us here, that means that we would be expecting another eleven people... am I right?"

"Yup."

"Speaking of the devil, another one just arrived."

The person that entered this time was a guy with golden-blonde hair, who was muttering something under his breath as he came in.

Anyone who lived in Japan would be able to recognise him.

His name is Kise Ryouta, a famous model who had his photos featured in countless magazines, not only those in our country but others overseas as well. He was dubbed as 'the young new face of Japan', and any product he models for will be sure to sell well. And when I mean well, I meant that it would be the bestseller amongst other products in its category.

As expected of the one called **'Super High School Level Model'**, I guess?

No one here seems to pay much heed to him, though.

That's kind of sad; especially since he is a world famous model.

"Tetsuya, shall we go take a seat over there? My legs are starting to hurt from standing too long."

"I do not mind; but why are you referring to me by my first name?"

"It's fine, isn't it? Kouki doesn't mind either."

I do, actually!

"What about Kiyoshi-san and Himuro-san?"

"They are both older then us by a year. If they don't mind me addressing them by their first names, then I will."

"I don't mind, actually. I always tell the people around me to call me 'Teppei' without any honorifics, so it's not a problem."

"I'm fine with it, too."

So the only person who does mind is me…

And while the conversation was going on, I saw another person slip in from the corner of my eye. He had made himself comfy on the bleachers on the right side of the gymnasium. The way he was looking at us... observing us, more like it, wasn't exactly what one would call pleasant.

I'm pretty sure I had seen him somewhere before, on television. But I can't seem to remember his name. I'm pretty sure his title is **'Super High School Level Psychologist'** or something like that...

Ah, he's coming this way... towards Akashi?

"It ain't polite ta stare at yer elders like that, ya know?"

Ah, he's speaking in Kansai dialect...

"I apologise if I had offended you."

"Naw. No worries 'bout that."

"That's a relief, then."

"Hmm? Whatcha mean by that?"

"I wouldn't want the famous student psychologist and prospective TouDai candidate Imayoshi Shouichi holding a grudge on me. Who knows what you might do to me in the future…"

Akashi sounds like he's teasing, but for some reason I don't think it's only that…

And did he just say TouDai?! As in Tokyo University?!

Imayoshi-san let out a loud chuckle, brushing Akashi's 'joke' aside. "That's just a stereotype, ya know. Just 'cause I love psych'logy ain't mean that I know how ta torment people."

"Quite true."

"Ya an int'resting one, aren'tcha? What's yer name?"

"Akashi Seijuurou."

"Akashi Seijuurou, huh. I'll keep that mem'rized, yah."

He looked towards me after that, but I averted my gaze before we could make eye contact. This guy's definitely the type of person I don't want to get involved with.

Unfortunately for me, he seemed to have taken great interest in me. I can tell that much by the aura he was radiating.

And he's coming closer and closer to me!

But just as he was about to speak to me, two people entered the gymnasium: a tall person with green hair and the other an average-looking person with a loud voice.

"See, Shin-chan? I told you that this is the right direction to go! Really, how is it possible that you can get lost even when your destination is just around the corner? If yours truly hadn't found you, you would have been going around in circles and squares for the rest of the day!"

"Shut up, Takao."

Phew. I'm saved. It looks like their appearance had caught Imayoshi-san's attention.

I should go over to where Kiyoshi-san and Himuro-san are before he redirects it back to me…

"You don't be so shy about it! People make mistakes all the time!"

"That doesn't mean that you can make fun of them, though."

"But it's so fun to tease you—OUCH! Why'd you hit me, Shin-chan?!"

"You totally deserved it."

"You're a meanie, Shin-chan… Oh? Oh oh oh! If it isn't Akashi!"

"Ah, you're right."

"I told you that he'd definitely be accepted into this school! To think that you didn't believe me! Ya-hooooo! Akashi! Long time no see!"

"It has been a while; Shintarou and Kazunari. I'm glad to see the two of you still get along famously well."

"Unfortunately."

"Friends of yours, Akashi-kun?"

If Kuroko didn't make his comment, I would have completely forgotten that he was there sitting next to Akashi.

"All three of us were from the same middle school, but I have known Shintarou since I was a child. His family, the Midorima family, and mine have been close since our great-grandparents' time. As for Kazunari, he's Shintarou's childhood friend. We are both teammates in our school's archery club; where I was captain and he was the ace."

"Ya a shogi player, yet ya ain't in the shogi club?"

"He claims that they're too weak."

"You are wrong about that, Kazunari."

"Huh?"

"I didn't say that they're weak. It's just that there is no one that's worthy of being a suitable opponent against me."

"Isn't that the same?!"

"It's not."

"But you did mention that Takao-kun is the ace of the archery team. That must mean…"

"Yup! **'Super High School Level Archer'**! That's me!"

"I thought as much."

"By the way, Shin-chan has a much more interesting title than I do! **'Super High School Level School Physician'**! Can you believe that such an amusing title actually exists?!"

"Don't be stupid, Takao. Who cares about a title like that? It's simply an exaggeration. Just because I come from a family of doctors and have knowledge in medicine doesn't mean that I'm that all that special."

"But being in charge of the school infirmary instead of a teacher is something amazing, isn't it? It's not something anyone can do, and do it well."

"But of course. How many times have I told you: Man proposes and God disposes. If you put in the effort that you should, you will be guaranteed to succeed."

"That's the wrong context to use your favourite phrase, Shin-chan. By the way, what's today's lucky item?"

"Today's lucky item for Cancers is a Cardflight Vanguard trading card."

"Oh! I don't have that one in my collection! And it's a super rare card to boot! Shin-chan, give it to me! I want it!"

"There's no way I am going to let you have it."

"It's fine, isn't it? You're only going to use it for a day, anyway."

…

Well, it seems that Takao is the jovial, upbeat kind of person. Midorima on the other hand… I can't think of him as anything but a weirdo.

"Shin-chan, let's go sit down with Akashi and his new friend!"

"I know. I'm coming."

Nine people… huh. I wonder when the rest are going to arrive.

I hope that we can have some peace and quiet right about now. Having people come in one after another is making me a bit jumpy, especially since that bad feeling that I've been having seems to be getting worse.

And again, the door opened, much to my chagrin.

Not like anyone would pay any heed to that anymore.

"Y-You! What in the world are you doing here?!"

This person… if I recall, he lives around the same area as I do. I even saw him once or twice back in middle school; he was the president of the craft club and is famous for creating detailed dioramas of battle scenes from the Sengoku period. And if I'm not mistaken, his family owns the barber shop near the supermarket and his title is **'Super High-School Level Hairdresser'** or something like that…

"Yo, Hyuuga! It's great to see you after so long!"

… And he's Kiyoshi-senpai's childhood friend.

I used to see them interacting with each other quite often.

"What do you mean by long… the last time we saw each other was only two days ago! And why didn't you tell me that you were attending this school earlier?!"

"I wanted to surprise you! So, how is it? Did it work? Are you surprised?"

"Like I am, you moronic idiot!"

Well… it looks like they still get along fine.

If you think of getting along as one person grabbing the other by the front of his shirt, that is…

I should still greet him, though… he was my senior, after all.

"I-It's been a while, Hyuuga-senpai…"

"Oh? You're…" At least he released Kiyoshi-senpai's collar when he turned his attention to me. "You look familiar. Ehh… who are you again?"

But as expected, he doesn't remember me.

"What are you talking about, Hyuuga? This is Furihata-kun. He was one year below us in middle school. He was with me in the library committee."

"Ohh… I really don't remember much of him, though. He seems like a guy so ordinary; you don't usually pay much attention to him."

"Well, of course! He is that kind of guy."

I know what Hyuuga-senpai said is the truth, but Kiyoshi-senpai's words made me feel like someone had rubbed salt on my open wounds, if I had any.

But with Hyuuga-senpai here, we have ten people, and it's two minutes before eight. I hope that those who aren't here will come soon; or else they will be late.

But as predicted, the next person barged right in.

"I'm sorry for being late!"

"Ah, ya ain't ta worry. Ya still got two good minutes left."

"I'm sorry!"

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry that I thought that I'm late when I wasn't!"

"It's fine, really. Why did ya have ta apologise for that an'way?

"I'm sorry!"

"Again?!"

This guy should know when to apologise… it sounds odd if he keeps doing it over and over again, not to mention it gets a little annoying.

His name is Sakurai Ryou. If I'm not mistaken, he is said to be the **'Super High-School Level Cook'**. He appeared on national television before, as a regular guest in some show about healthy cooking and on other variety cooking shows. He even wrote several recipe books which are bestsellers, though they probably don't sell as much as compared to Kuroko's _Detective Sanzanburou_ series. On a side note, he's quite popular with many housewives.

"Hey, you. Get out of my way, or I'll—"

And when I wasn't looking, another guy appeared… and he's scary!

"Yes! I'm terribly sorry!"

"Oohhh; that's a scary glare ya have there, lad. Yer freakin' this poor boy out."

IMAYOSHI-SAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

"Hahh?! You wanna pick a fight with me? Don't you know who you're talking to, huh?!"

"Hey, chill! No need ta get rough with yer elders, yah, tough guy?"

That scary guy… whatever his name is, pulled away with a scary growl. It seems like he's going to let this slide. Thank goodness!

"You better make sure you don't cross paths with me again; or else you'd really regret it the next time you do! I'll make you regret taking the leader of the Grey Hounds and the title of **'Super High-School Level Delinquent'**, the great Haizaki Shougo-sama, lightly! Understand what I mean, old man?"

"Ev'ry word. Rest assured; I'll keep that mem'rized."

"Did you hear that, Shin-chan? Looks like I'm not the only who takes pride in my title!"

"Shut it, Takao."

"Arghh… would all of you just pipe down and not block the entrance to the gym? It's too early in the morning to be this disruptive."

This guy has really dark skin… is he a foreigner? But his pronunciation is really good. Maybe he was raised here in Japan or something like that.

And check out his limbs… they're so long. Does he play some kind of sport?

Eh?

Wait a minute.

It can't be…!

I think I know who he is!

He's Aomine Daiki; Japan's youngest national representative for basketball! He plays the position of power forward, and is already one of the top players in his team. His unusual playing style allows him to score points were it it impossible; he can easily score over fifty points in any game. It's hard for me to explain here, but when you see him play, you'll find out how awesome he is.

Oh, and his title is **'Super High-School Level Basketball Player'!**

Then again, with all that blabbering earlier, anyone would have figured it out without me saying it.

And as I was being fascinated at one of the few people I admire, I almost failed to notice the entrance of another person with even longer limbs, and was even taller than Midorima is. This guy must be over two meters tall…

"Ah, he's…" Sakurai seems to have met him before. And I bet that the ever curious Imayoshi-san is going to ask him about it sooner or later.

"Hmm? Sakurai, ya know this titan?"

"H-Huh? I'm sorry!"

"Aw gosh; enough with yer apologisin' already!"

"I'm sorry that I'm sorry! Uhh, I met him once at the recording of a variety television show. We did a collaboration for the cooking segment, where we introduced and demonstrated how to make dishes that are easy to make at home."

Oh? I didn't think a big guy like him could actually cook. Then again, he looks like the type of person who could be found snacking on titbits and other things at any given time of day. And there was saying that people who eat a lot tend to be knowledgeable in the art of feeding themselves, a.k.a. cooking.

If Sakurai is the cook, then he must be the other one I heard about on that online forum: the **'Super High-School Level Patisserie'**.

I can't help but think of him as an overgrown… gigantic sloth, judging from the way he moves and looks, but since he has that title the things he makes should be delicious… I hope.

Hm? What's that noise?

It sounds like someone shouting, but it's getting closer and closer by the minute.

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if someone were to burst through the open gymnasium doors right about...

"I'm laaaaaaaaaaaate!"

... now.

And as somewhat expected, I'm right again.

It's scary sometimes when you get this gut feeling like something's going to happen; and it eventually does. I really, really hope it doesn't apply to that nagging bad feeling of mine.

_"Taiga? Is that you?"_

_"Tatsuya? What are you doing here in Japan?"_

This guy that just came in... he's the **'Super High-School Level Surfer'** that I recall finding out about from the internet. His name is Kagami Taiga, which I had initially found ironic because the picture that I found of him showed him with a frown so intense it reminded me of those wild tigers that you can find on a documentary. Now that I look at him, he isn't as scary as I had thought him to be.

Seeing how the people around here seems to know some of the others who are coming in, I'm not surprised that he happens to know Himuro-san...

... But they're conversing in English?!

Don't tell me the two of them were raised overseas or something like that?!

_"I moved back about two to three years ago. About half a year after you left."_

_"Ah, I see. You could've told me or something instead of keeping quiet about it."_

_"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't have a way to contact you. You said you'd tell me your number when you get back, remember? But you didn't."_

_"Ah, my bad. I had too many things to handle when I returned; it kinda slipped my mind... Should we exchange numbers now?"_

"_Yeah, why not?"_

I don't really know what's going between them, but I don't want to eavesdrop on their conversation.

_"Huh? Strange... it's not here."_

_"What happened, Tatsuya?"_

_"I can't seem to find my phone. And I'm sure I put in the left pocket of my pants..."_

_"Now that you've mentioned it; mine isn't here, either!"_

Uh oh.

From the tone of their voices, it was easy to tell that the both of them where in near-panic.

"What happened?" Kiyoshi-senpai was the first to react.

"We can't find our cell phones!" Both of them replied at the same time, reverting back to Japanese.

I patted my pockets and, probably just like everyone else, I couldn't find mine.

I always leave it the back pocket, but it's not there!

What's going on here?

"D-Do you think this could be some sort of orientation event planned by the school committee or something?" Sakurai looked almost pale. "I-I've been having this bad feeling for a while."

Looks like I'm not the only one.

That must mean something.

"Hah?! Who knows?" Haizaki spat, looking ready to beat up someone. I'd better stay away from him... "If I'd known it was going to be like this, I should've skipped, dammit."

"All right, calm down; all o' ya. I bet this is—"

Just as Imayoshi-san was about to say something that was probably important, he was interrupted with a loud burst of white noise that threatened to shatter our... or at least, my eardrums.

"Ahem! Ah, ah! Mic test! Mic test! Oh, who cares? I'm sure you can hear me clear and loud anyway!"

As the white noise cleared, we all turned our attention to the podium... but there's nobody there.

So where is that voice coming from?

"Ehh, a big and grand welcome to all freshmen! May the entrance ceremony commence... now!"

It was silent for a while... until something bounced up from behind the podium with a comical 'boing!' sound and seated itself upon it.

Is that a...

"Teddy bear?"

Yup, Kagami just said what I was thinking out loud.

"Who are you calling a teddy bear, punk? I am Monokuma, the principal of this school! Pleased to meet all of you!"

A TALKING teddy bear?!

And did he just say that he was the principal?

I-Impossible.

It's impossible in so many ways I don't know where I should start rebutting it.

Or maybe I shouldn't say anything at all.

Silence is golden, after all.

"P-Pleased to meet you too! I will be in your care!"

"Ya don't have ta reply ta 'im, Sakurai!"

"Well now. Now that we have made a teeny bit of process, let's get the ball rolling. Stand and bow! Good morning to you all!"

"Good morning, sir!"

Not you too, Kiyoshi-senpai!

"Can't you read the mood for once, you moronic idiot?!"

"Erm, for starters, let me say that you are all promising young lads who carry the hopes of world on your shoulders and blah blah blah. You know what I mean already so there's no need to elaborate with pretty words. Anyway! You will all live in the confines of this school in order to provide the world's finest care for and to protect all of you! Now, doesn't that sound fun?"

Wait. WHAT?!

"And as for how long you will have to live together... hmm... I'd say that forever is a good duration? That means... the rest of your lives?"

"WHAT?!"

"Y-You have to be kidding me…"

"Why is it a must for us to stay here forever?"

"This is unfair! Who was the one who decided this, anyway?"

"Aww, don't look so worried about this. We have a huge budget, even larger than you can imagine. You will be treated with world-class care during your time here."

That's not the issue!

But that means that... "So the steel plates I saw covering the windows were supposed to keep us trapped in here?"

"Yes, how clever of you to have noticed! Oh, and it's no use complaining about having to be here. It's not like anyone's going to come rescue you anyway!"

"OH YEAH, WELL WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!"

"Haizaki-kun, calm down, will ya?" I'm surprised how calm Imayoshi-san can be at this moment. Even Kuroko is showing some sort of displeasure on his face. "Say, Mr. Principal. It would be troub'some fer us ta stay 'ere for'ver, ya know... is there a way fer us to get outta 'ere?"

"Well, since you asked nicely, I guess I can tell you! There is one way for you to leave this academy. You just have to graduate! But in order to do that, you would have to kill someone else here! I don't care how you do it, but you can't let anyone find out that you're the culprit! Hence, commit the perfect crime! Fairly simple, no?"

K-Kill...?

He can't be serious.

First he confines us here, and now he wants us to kill each other?

Is he insane?

"This has to be a joke."

"A joke, you say? I'm being a hundred and three per cent serious here. There are plenty of ways to off someone; and all of them are equally exciting! Think about it! You can beat them to death, stab them, slash them, cut them into itty bitty pieces, poison them, crush their skulls and roll them flat, strangle them, suffocate them, burn them, freeze them, drown them or even shoot them if you can! A situation full of delicious despair that can only be felt when watching gifted, bright young talents such as yourselves kill each other off... ahh, I think I'm getting aroused just thinking about it! Boy, is it getting hotter in here or what?"

There were some others protesting to this, but I can't even find the words that I want to say. It's so noisy I can't even think properly.

So this was the bad feeling that I've been having all along.

But to kill each other... no one's actually going to do it, right?

"From now on, this entire academy is going to be your home! Your life! Your community! Your society! You are free to do anything you wish! No one's gonna stop you! Go crazy and run wild! Be free, youths! Ah, but there are some rules to follow, so all of you have to be beary careful that you don't break them! Especially that little boy with the head greying hair that looks like a porcupine! Yes, I'm referring to you; the one standing at the back!"

"HAH?! WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

"Haizaki-kun! Calm down a'ready! Sheesh!"

I can't blame Haizaki-kun for being all worked-up... it would take a lot of self-control to be able to keep calm in this situation. I think I'm about to have a panic attack or something...

Everyone else has gone silent, even though most of them have been protesting earlier.

Our faces all bore the same expressions.

Of fear.

Horror.

Disbelief.

Bewilderment.

Anger.

And last but not least, of despair.

This was nothing that we expected of our high school lives at all!

"Does anyone else have anything to add? To ask? To retort? None? Well then, if there are no further objections...

"Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy, you lot! Upupu! Upupupupu!"

**CHAPTER ONE: Welcome to the Academy of Despair **

**-END-**


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